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🇸🇪 Sweden /Conflict & Security

After Bondi Attack: 250,000 Weapons to Be Bought Back in New South Wales

From Svenska Dagbladet · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • New South Wales, Australia, plans to buy back approximately 274,000 firearms following a deadly terrorist attack in Bondi Beach.
  • The state government aims to reform gun laws, with the buyback program potentially costing hundreds of millions of dollars.
  • Critics, including the opposition, argue the plan is ineffective, believing criminals will not surrender their weapons.

The Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) intends to implement a significant firearm buyback program, aiming to acquire around 274,000 weapons. This initiative follows the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in December of the previous year, which prompted calls for stricter gun control measures.

NSW Premier Anthony Albanese announced that the state will begin buying back firearms, ranging from pistols to assault rifles, starting in November. "We must do everything we can to ensure that the antisemitic attack in Bondi is not repeated. This includes meaningful gun reforms," Albanese stated, as reported by ABC News. The program is expected to cost hundreds of millions of Australian dollars, with initial compensation for firearm owners potentially reaching up to $1,000 (nearly 7,000 Swedish kronor) per weapon.

We must do everything we can to ensure that the antisemitic attack in Bondi is not repeated. This includes meaningful gun reforms.

— Anthony AlbaneseThe Premier of New South Wales on the necessity of gun reforms after the Bondi attack.

However, the plan has faced considerable criticism. Currently, only Western Australia has expressed support for a similar buyback initiative. The opposition in NSW has outright rejected the proposal. NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane of the Liberal Party argued, "It is self-deception to believe that criminals and future terrorists would walk into the police and hand in their weapons."

The Bondi Beach attack on December 14, 2025, resulted in 15 deaths and approximately 40 injuries when a father and son opened fire during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration. Police investigations indicated the attack was motivated by antisemitism, with the perpetrators influenced by the extremist group ISIS.

It is self-deception to believe that criminals and future terrorists would walk into the police and hand in their weapons.

— Kellie SloaneNSW Opposition Leader criticizing the proposed firearm buyback program.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Svenska Dagbladet in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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